Solar Power Tariff Hits New Lows at Solar Corporation of India (SECI) Bid

Solar power tariff has touched Rs. 2.44 per unit once again. This is the lowest that they have reached as was evidenced in the recent 2000 Mega Watt auction which was conducted by the Solar Corporation of India (SECI). Acme Solar, which is considered to be one of the largest domestic solar energy developers (about 1700 MW of commissioned solar energy projects) has be able to win 600 MW with this bidding.

Industry experts say that the fall is due to the developments in China. About 80 per cent of the solar energy panels as well as modules that are used in the Indian solar projects are basically imported. By May end, Chinese government had stopped approving any more solar projects and also reduced subsidies for their solar developers. China felt that the solar energy sector had been expanding a little too fast. As the local demand keeps falling, the Chinese solar manufacturers have had no choice but to export. This led to a weakening of the solar bidding prices. India accounted for 30.9 per cent of China solar exports in 2017, according to China Chamber of Commerce for Import and Export of Machinery and Electronic Products.

About Syeda Ambia Zahan

Greenubuntu Evangelist Syeda Ambia Zahan is a Guwahati-based journalist who has been covering environment, politics, technology, human interest stories and defence for the past five years. She is a State Editor at 101Reporters.com and an erstwhile Journalist with Aaj Tak. She can be reached at twitter @syedaambia